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Era I: Human Origins and Early Civilizations, Prehistory to 1000 B.C.

(B.C.E.)

Ancient River Valley Civilizations

• WHI.3 The student will demonstrate knowledge of ancient river valley civilizations, including those of Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indus River Valley, and China and the civilizations of the Hebrews, Phoenicians, and Nubians, by

• a) locating these civilizations in time and place;

• b) describing the development of social, political, and economic patterns, including slavery;

• c) explaining the development of religious traditions;

• d) describing the origins, beliefs, traditions, customs, and spread of Judaism;

• e) explaining the development of language and writing.

Mesopotamia Tigris and Euphrates River Valleys (SW Asia)

3500 BCE – 1600 BCE

Mesopotamia Euphrates and

Tigris River Valleys 3500BCE-1600BCE

II. The Fertile Crescent

Ancient Egypt Nile River Valley and Delta

3000 BC (BCE) – 945 BC (BCE)



Ancient Egypt Nile River Valley & Delta 3000-945BCE

Lower Nile

Upper Nile

Northeast Africa

Indus River Valley (India)

2500 BC (BCE) – 1700 BC (BCE)



Ancient India Indus River Valley 2500-1700BCE


Present Day Pakistan

Ancient China

2500 BC(BCE) – 256 BC(BCE)




Ancient China Yellow River Valley (Huang He) 2500-256BCE


Huang He – Yellow River

Hebrews (Jews)

2000 BC(BCE) – Present Day






Hebrews (Jews) 2000-Present Jordan River

Location

Mediterranean Sea Jordan River Valley (W. Asia)

Phoenicians

1000 BC (BCE)





Phoenicians Mediterranean Sea 1000BCE


Hebrews (Jews) Jordan River 2000-Present

Phoenicians

Hebrews

Nubians 5000 BC to 1640 BC





Nubians Upper Nile River 5000-1640BCE

Phoenicians Mediterranean Sea 1000BCE


Hebrews (Jews) Jordan River 2000-Present

• Nubia is a region along the Nile river, which is located in northern Sudan and southern Egypt.

Upper Nile

Era I: Human Origins and Early Civilizations, Prehistory to 1000 B.C.

(B.C.E.)

Geography – River Valleys

• Rivers are formed by melting snow from mountains

• Rivers flow from mountains into larger bodies of water, like an ocean or sea

• Rivers = fresh water (drinkable)

• Oceans = salt water (cannot drink)

The Fertile Crescent

The Fertile Crescent

• The most famous river valley with the first civilization

• Located in Southwest Asia (Middle East)

• Stretches from Persian Gulf to Mediterranean Sea

• Major Rivers

– Tigris River

– Euphrates River

Mesopotamian Civilization 3500 BCE – 1600 BCE

Tigris and Euphrates River Valleys (SW Asia)

Mesopotamia

• The land located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

• The rivers flow from the Zagros and Taurus Mountains

• This land was very fertile because of annual flooding of the rivers. The soil left behind is called silt.

• Present-day country = Iraq

Silt

• Fine soil carried in the water of rivers

Political (government)

• Ruled by kings/priests

• City-states built around Ziggurats (meeting places/temples)

• 1st city – Sumer (people – Sumerians)

City-State

• A city and its surrounding lands functioning as an independent political unit

Ziggurat

• A tiered, pyramid shaped structure that formed part of a Sumerian temple


• City-State=

City-State

• A city and its surrounding lands functioning as an independent political unit


• City-State=

– a city and its surrounding villages, which together follow the same law, have one form of government, and share languages, religious beliefs, and ways of life

– A city which is like its own country

City-State (Example)

Sumerian Culture/Society

• Lived in the eastern part of Mesopotamia

• Established city-states – same culture but each city had different leaders

• Polytheistic. Built ziggurats for religious and governmental purposes.

Polytheism

• A belief in many gods

Sumerian Culture/Society)

• Governed by dynasties.

• Society had social classes (a rigid class system)

- Priests and Kings

- Wealthy merchants

- Ordinary citizens

- Slaves

Dynasty

• A series of rulers from a single family

Sumerian Culture/Society

• Inventions and Innovations

- Wheel

- Sail

- Plow

- First to use bronze

- Developed first writing system = Cuneiform

Bronze Age

• Period in human history, beginning around 3000 BC in some areas, during which people began using bronze, rather than copper or stone to fashion tools and weapons

Cuneiform

• System of writing with wedge-shaped symbols, invented by the Sumerians around3000 BC

Cuneiform

• Written language

• Lines and triangles

• “Wedge shaped”

Cuneiform

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